PREPARING FUTURE PHYSICAL EDUCATORS FOR INCLUSION: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E. BLOCK ◽  
Eun Hye KWON ◽  
Sean HEALY
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Educators ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
General Physical

Students with disabilities around the world are leaving special schools and special classes and are receiving their education in general education schools. In addition to attending general education classes, these students with disabilities are attending general physical education classes. Unfortunately, research has clearly demonstrated that physical educators do not feel prepared to include students with disabilities into their general physical education classes. Such findings are not surprising given that the typical physical education teacher education program in the United States only requires one course in adapted physical education, and in many countries around the world not even one adapted physical education course is required. However, many physical education teacher education programs do not have the space to add more adapted physical education classes, and other universities do not have professors with specialized knowledge to teach adapted physical education. What can be done to better prepare future and current physical educators? Online education is a relatively new method for delivering information about disability in general and more specifically how to include students with disabilities into general physical activities. The purpose of this paper is to introduce online education and present preliminary research that supports the use of online training with physical educators.

Recruitment and initial socialization into adapted physical education teacher education

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Andrew R Richards ◽  
Wesley J Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Physical Educators ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Adapted Physical Educators

While much has been learned about the socialization of physical education teachers through occupational socialization theory, less is known about the socialization of adapted physical educators. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences leading individuals to enrol in a graduate-level adapted physical education teacher education programme in the United States. Participants included 17 first semester preservice adapted physical education teachers (5 males, 12 females). Data were collected through two individual interviews with each participant and autobiographical essay writing. Results revealed similarities and differences in the recruitment of adapted physical educators and physical education generalists. Specific themes included: (a) individuals with disabilities were the most powerful socializing agents; (b) both positive and negative experiences in sport and physical education facilitated recruitment; (c) an incomplete apprenticeship of observation framed recruitment; and (d) participants had different background experiences and espoused diverse career goals. Results are discussed with implications focusing on the socialization of both physical educators and adapted physical education specialists.

Preservice Physical Educators’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs Toward Inclusion: The Impact of Coursework and Practicum

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea R. Taliaferro ◽  
Lindsay Hammond ◽  
Kristi Wyant
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Educators ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Disability Categories ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of completion of an adapted physical education (APE) course with an associated on-campus practicum on preservice physical educators’ self-efficacy beliefs toward the inclusion of individuals with specific disabilities (autism, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual impairments). Preservice students in physical education teacher education (N = 98) at a large U.S. Midwestern university enrolled in 1 of 2 separate 15-wk APE courses with an associated 9-wk practicum experience were surveyed at the beginning, middle, and conclusion of each course. Results of 4 separate 2-factor fixed-effect split-plot ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in self-efficacy beliefs from Wk 1 to Wk 8 and from Wk 1 to Wk 15 across all disability categories. Significant differences between courses were found only for autism in Time 1.

Physical Educators’ Judgments About Inclusion: A New Instrument for Preservice Teachers

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel R. Hodge ◽  
Nathan M. Murata ◽  
Francis M. Kozub
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Physical Educators ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Pete Programs ◽  
General Physical ◽  
General Physical Education

The purpose was to develop an instrument for use in physical education teacher education (PETE) programs that would yield valid evidence of the judgments of PETE preservice teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities into general physical education classes. Both the conceptualization that judgments represent the cognitive expressions of attitudes (Ajzen, 2001; Sherif & Hovland, 1961) and focus group discussions were used to create the Physical Educators’ Judgments About Inclusion (PEJI) instrument. Following content validation procedures, we administered PEJI to 272 PETE preservice teachers. Subsequent principal component analysis to generate construct validity evidence indicated 15 items should be retained; they collectively explained 53% of the variance using a three-component model. Dimensions of the PEJI pertained to judgments about inclusion, acceptance, and perceived training needs. Alpha coefficients for the three subscales ranged from .64 to .88.

Adapted Physical Education in the Special Education Process

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Mcnamara ◽  
Cheng-Chen Pan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Educators ◽  
Special Education Process ◽  
Adapted Physical Educators ◽  
The Individual ◽  
General Physical ◽  
General Physical Education

Adapted physical education (APE) services have the same overall objectives as general physical education; however, adapted physical educators should implement accommodations and modifications to personalize the programs to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. Because of the high levels of health disparity for people with disabilities, as well as cognitive and socio-emotional benefits associated with physical activity and exercise, it is crucial that students with disabilities receive high-quality APE programming. To give the readers a broad overview of APE and how it should be implemented, this chapter covers the following topics: physical education and physical literacy, the benefits of physical education and exercise for students with disabilities, federal laws in relation to physical education for students with disabilities, the role of adapted physical educators in interdisciplinary team approaches within the individualized education program process, and highlighting specialized teaching strategies and specialized equipment for students with disabilities.

Socialization of Preservice Adapted Physical Educators: Influence of Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 472-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley J. Wilson ◽  
K. Andrew R. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Occupational Socialization ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Socialization Theory ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education

Occupational socialization theory has been used to understand the recruitment, education, and socialization of physical education teachers for nearly 40 yr. It has, however, only recently been applied to the study of adapted physical education teachers. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to understand the socialization of preservice teachers in an adapted physical education teacher education graduate-level program. Participants included 17 purposefully selected preservice teachers (5 male and 12 female) enrolled in a yearlong graduate-level adapted physical education teacher education program. Qualitative data were collected using interviews, reflective journaling, and field notes taken during teaching and coursework observations. Data analysis resulted in the construction of 3 themes: overcoming contextual challenges to meet learners’ needs, the importance of field-based teacher education, and coping with the challenges of marginalization. The discussion connects to and advances occupational socialization theory in adapted physical education and suggests that professional socialization may have a more profound influence on preservice adapted physical education teachers than on their physical education counterparts.

Exploring the Meaning of Practicum Experiences for PETE Students

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel R. Hodge ◽  
Deborah Tannehill ◽  
Mary Ann Kluge
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Practicum Experiences

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the meaning of practicum experiences for physical education teacher education (PETE) students. Participants were 10 PETE students majoring in teaching and enrolled in an introductory adapted physical education course with an inclusion-based practicum requirement. Data were collected from participants’ self-reflective journals and analyzed using thematic analysis procedures (Giorgi, 1985). Eleven themes emerged that reflected the meaning of practicum experiences for these students. Our findings suggest that journaling provides a medium for PETE students to identify issues, address problems, and think critically about best practices.

Influence of Occupational Socialization on the Perspectives and Practices of Adapted Physical Education Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chan Woong Park ◽  
Matthew D. Curtner-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Adapted Physical Education ◽  
Occupational Socialization ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
School Cultures ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Adapted Physical Educators

The purpose of this study was to describe and examine the occupational socialization of nine adapted physical educators (APEs). The questions we attempted to answer were (a) What were the perspectives and practices of the APEs? and (b) What factors influenced these perspectives and practices? Data were collected through six qualitative techniques and analyzed by using analytic induction and constant comparison. At the time the study was conducted, the APEs possessed traditional or progressive teaching orientations. They had been attracted to a career as an APE through their participation in sport and physical activity and interactions with persons with disabilities. The quality of adapted physical education teacher education the APEs received varied, but high-quality adapted physical education teacher education appeared to exert a powerful influence on their values and pedagogies. The school cultures and conditions in which the APEs worked on entry into the workforce either served to support or negate their programs. We conclude the paper by providing several hypotheses regarding the influences of occupational socialization on in-service APEs’ teaching.

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